Issued March 16, 2016
WASHINGTON—SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement today on President Obama’s announcement of Judge Garland as nominee to fill vacant Supreme Court seat:
“Working people need a government that works for them, not one that is ground to a halt by extremist special interests and the Senators who do their bidding. Today, President Obama has done what the American people need by nominating Judge Garland to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat. Now Senate Republicans must do their job and what’s in the best interest of the American people by giving Judge Garland a full hearing and up-or-down vote.
“Judge Garland has had an illustrious career, throughout which he has demonstrated why he is a good choice for working families. His record shows that he believes in the duty of government to protect regular Americans, and our democracy, from being corrupted by the excesses of the super wealthy and their corporate agenda. He has shown that he respects the opinion of the National Labor Relations Board, the agency that is charged with protecting workers’ right to join together in a union and bargain collectively, and he has upheld disclosure requirements to keep a check on the outsized influence “dark money” has on our government.
“Anything less than granting Judge Garland a full hearing and vote is playing politics with the lives of millions of working families and their communities who will be affected by cases in front of the Supreme Court, and are poised to take this fight door to door in their communities all the way to the ballot box this November.
“With the cases before the Supreme Court the stakes are clear: nurses and firefighters’ ability to join together at work and have a voice in a union is at risk; immigrant are families in danger of being torn apart; the hard-fought right to vote is under attack by the attempt to unravel the fundamental principle of one person, one vote; and women’s reproductive health is in jeopardy. Inaction by the Senate is not an option. It’s time for Senators to do their job and give Judge Garland a full hearing and a vote.”